A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE ROLE, NATURE, AND MANAGEMENT OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the product development processes and management strategies employed by fashion retailers operating in the UK high street market sector. By focusing exclusively on the UK high street, the research seeks to gain insights into its unique challenges, allowing for a targeted exploration of the specific retail dynamics in this environment. The rise of online and omnichannel retail has significantly transformed the UK retail sector, leading to the closure of numerous physical stores and increasing competition. These pressures have placed significant strain on traditional outlets (Blazquez, Boardman, & Xu, 2019). Changes in consumer behaviours, the retail environment, and business models have been substantial. Today's consumers are more demanding, knowledgeable, and price-conscious than ever before (Sutherland, 2020). This study contrasts two distinct models within UK high street fashion: pureplay fast fashion retailers and omnichannel retailers. Pureplay fast fashion retailers prioritize rapid trend adaptation, emphasizing speed and efficiency, often at the expense of tactile customer experiences. In contrast, fashion omnichannel retailers integrate both online and offline channels to offer comprehensive customer experiences, which include in-person interactions. These models reflect the diverse retail strategies prevalent in the UK high street fashion industry. The research aims to explore the nuances of these contrasting retail models by examining both their internal and external influences. Through this examination, the study seeks to illuminate the spectrum of strategies used by fashion retailers on the UK high street. Moreover, it analyses the implications of these strategies on the product development process and overall management. In doing so, the research offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities fashion retailers face as they adapt to evolving market demands. The investigation is based on qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews with 21 buyers and/or merchandisers. The interviewees were drawn from 11 UK-based fashion retailers. This thesis follows an alternative format, divided into six articles, five of which have been peer-reviewed and published. The first article introduces the challenges facing contemporary fashion retailing and the fashion product development (FPD) process. It also examines the models available in the current literature. This article explores the potential of adopting research approaches and ideas from New Product Development (NPD) and Project Management (PM) to address some of the issues specific to fashion retailers, particularly those related to developing products within specific markets and timeframes. The next two articles offer a literature review on New Product Development (NPD), the process models developed within it, and Fashion Product Development (FPD). They also address the issues and challenges within this research area, highlighting the role of the buying cycle and the innovations associated with developing product assortments. The final three articles investigate and reflect on current FPD processes from pureplay and omnichannel retailers. These papers establish the existing product development processes in the industry, updating and comparing these findings with existing models in FPD literature. From this comparison, a new conceptual process model is developed, which is more reflective of contemporary fashion retailing and industry practices. Additionally, these articles examine the internal and external influences that impact the overall management and procedures of the product development process. The key findings from each article are highlighted, and further summaries are provided in the conclusion chapter. The thesis outlines both theoretical and practical contributions, identifying areas for further research. Overall, the research addresses a gap in academic literature concerning the processes used within the clothing fashion industry to develop products in today's market and how these processes are managed successfully. The conceptual process models developed will be applicable to a variety of retailers, tailored to the business models of either pureplay or omnichannel fashion retailers.

Date of Award	31 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Rachel Studd (Co Supervisor) & Stephen Doyle (Main Supervisor)